diff --git a/codex/blocktype.nim b/codex/blocktype.nim
index 081acdc2..1b41d2b9 100644
--- a/codex/blocktype.nim
+++ b/codex/blocktype.nim
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ template EmptyBlock*: untyped =
     emptyBlock = [
       CIDv0: {
         multiCodec("sha2-256"): Block(
-          cid: EmptyCid[CIDv1][multiCodec("sha2-256")])
+          cid: EmptyCid[CIDv0][multiCodec("sha2-256")])
       }.toTable,
       CIDv1: {
         multiCodec("sha2-256"): Block(
diff --git a/codex/manifest/coders.nim b/codex/manifest/coders.nim
index d6506b13..d86f33d2 100644
--- a/codex/manifest/coders.nim
+++ b/codex/manifest/coders.nim
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import pkg/chronos
 
 import ./manifest
 import ../errors
+import ../blocktype
 import ./types
 
 func encode*(_: DagPBCoder, manifest: Manifest): ?!seq[byte] =
@@ -174,8 +175,8 @@ func decode*(
 
   decoder.decode(data)
 
-func decode*(_: type Manifest, data: openArray[byte], cid: Cid): ?!Manifest =
-  without contentType =? cid.contentType() and
+func decode*(_: type Manifest, blk: Block): ?!Manifest =
+  without contentType =? blk.cid.contentType() and
           containerType =? ManifestContainers.?[$contentType]:
     return failure "CID has invalid content type for manifest"
-  Manifest.decode(data, containerType)
+  Manifest.decode(blk.data, containerType)
diff --git a/codex/manifest/types.nim b/codex/manifest/types.nim
index 3ae0e497..c189da0f 100644
--- a/codex/manifest/types.nim
+++ b/codex/manifest/types.nim
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ type
   DagPBCoder* = ManifestCoderType[multiCodec("dag-pb")]
 
 const
-  # TODO: move somewhere better?
   ManifestContainers* = {
     $DagPBCodec: DagPBCoder()
   }.toTable
diff --git a/codex/node.nim b/codex/node.nim
index 688c1c0f..0dc1305d 100644
--- a/codex/node.nim
+++ b/codex/node.nim
@@ -35,9 +35,11 @@ logScope:
   topics = "codex node"
 
 const
-  FetchBatch = 100
+  FetchBatch = 200
 
 type
+  BatchProc* = proc(blocks: seq[bt.Block]): Future[void] {.gcsafe, raises: [Defect].}
+
   CodexError = object of CatchableError
 
   CodexNodeRef* = ref object
@@ -66,6 +68,10 @@ proc fetchManifest*(
   ## Fetch and decode a manifest block
   ##
 
+  without contentType =? cid.contentType() and
+          containerType =? ManifestContainers.?[$contentType]:
+    return failure "CID has invalid content type for manifest"
+
   trace "Received retrieval request", cid
   without blkOrNone =? await node.blockStore.getBlock(cid), error:
     return failure(error)
@@ -74,12 +80,41 @@ proc fetchManifest*(
     trace "Block not found", cid
     return failure("Block not found")
 
-  without manifest =? Manifest.decode(blk.data, blk.cid):
+  without manifest =? Manifest.decode(blk):
     return failure(
       newException(CodexError, "Unable to decode as manifest"))
 
   return manifest.success
 
+proc fetchBatched*(
+  node: CodexNodeRef,
+  manifest: Manifest,
+  batchSize = FetchBatch,
+  onBatch: BatchProc = nil): Future[?!void] {.async, gcsafe.} =
+  ## Fetch manifest in batches of `batchSize`
+  ##
+
+  let
+    batches =
+      (manifest.blocks.len div batchSize) +
+      (manifest.blocks.len mod batchSize)
+
+  trace "Fetching blocks in batches of", size = batchSize
+  for blks in manifest.blocks.distribute(max(1, batches), true):
+    try:
+      let
+        blocks = blks.mapIt(node.blockStore.getBlock( it ))
+
+      await allFuturesThrowing(allFinished(blocks))
+      if not onBatch.isNil:
+        await onBatch(blocks.mapIt( it.read.get.get ))
+    except CancelledError as exc:
+      raise exc
+    except CatchableError as exc:
+      return failure(exc.msg)
+
+  return success()
+
 proc retrieve*(
   node: CodexNodeRef,
   cid: Cid): Future[?!LPStream] {.async.} =
@@ -97,18 +132,13 @@ proc retrieve*(
 
       asyncSpawn erasureJob()
     else:
-      proc fetchBlocksJob() {.async.} =
+      proc prefetchBlocks() {.async, raises: [Defect].} =
         try:
-          let batch = max(1, manifest.blocks.len div FetchBatch)
-          trace "Prefetching in batches of", FetchBatch
-          for blks in manifest.blocks.distribute(batch, true):
-            discard await allFinished(
-              blks.mapIt( node.blockStore.getBlock( it ) ))
+          discard await node.fetchBatched(manifest)
         except CatchableError as exc:
           trace "Exception prefetching blocks", exc = exc.msg
 
-      asyncSpawn fetchBlocksJob()
-
+      asyncSpawn prefetchBlocks()
     return LPStream(StoreStream.new(node.blockStore, manifest)).success
 
   let
@@ -207,26 +237,9 @@ proc requestStorage*(self: CodexNodeRef,
     trace "Purchasing not available"
     return failure "Purchasing not available"
 
-  without blkOrNone =? (await self.blockStore.getBlock(cid)), error:
-    trace "Unable to retrieve manifest block", cid
-    return failure(error)
-
-  without blk =? blkOrNone:
-    trace "Manifest block not found", cid
-    return failure("Manifest block not found")
-
-  without mc =? blk.cid.contentType():
-    trace "Couldn't identify Cid!", cid
-    return failure("Couldn't identify Cid! " & $cid)
-
-  # if we got a manifest, stream the blocks
-  if $mc notin ManifestContainers:
-    trace "Not a manifest type!", cid, mc = $mc
-    return failure("Not a manifest type!")
-
-  without var manifest =? Manifest.decode(blk.data), error:
-    trace "Unable to decode manifest from block", cid
-    return failure(error)
+  without manifest =? await self.fetchManifest(cid), error:
+    trace "Unable to fetch manifest for cid", cid
+    raise error
 
   # Erasure code the dataset according to provided parameters
   without encoded =? (await self.erasure.encode(manifest, nodes.int, tolerance.int)), error:
@@ -313,14 +326,14 @@ proc start*(node: CodexNodeRef) {.async.} =
         trace "Unable to fetch manifest for cid", cid
         raise error
 
-      trace "Fetching block for cid", cid
-      let batch = max(1, manifest.blocks.len div FetchBatch)
-      trace "Prefetching in batches of", FetchBatch
-      for blks in manifest.blocks.distribute(batch, true):
-        await allFuturesThrowing(
-          allFinished(blks.mapIt(
-            node.blockStore.getBlock( it )
-          )))
+      trace "Fetching block for manifest", cid
+      # TODO: This will probably require a call to `getBlock` either way,
+      # since fetching of blocks will have to be selective according
+      # to a combination of parameters, such as node slot position
+      # and dataset geometry
+      let fetchRes = await node.fetchBatched(manifest)
+      if fetchRes.isErr:
+        raise newException(CodexError, "Unable to retrieve blocks")
 
     contracts.sales.onClear = proc(availability: Availability, request: StorageRequest) =
       # TODO: remove data from local storage
diff --git a/tests/codex/testnode.nim b/tests/codex/testnode.nim
index 43572ba7..88b7a3b6 100644
--- a/tests/codex/testnode.nim
+++ b/tests/codex/testnode.nim
@@ -90,6 +90,52 @@ suite "Test Node":
       fetched.cid == manifest.cid
       fetched.blocks == manifest.blocks
 
+  test "Block Batching":
+    var
+      manifest = Manifest.new().tryGet()
+
+    while (
+      let chunk = await chunker.getBytes();
+      chunk.len > 0):
+
+      let blk = bt.Block.new(chunk).tryGet()
+      (await localStore.putBlock(blk)).tryGet()
+      manifest.add(blk.cid)
+
+    let
+      manifestBlock = bt.Block.new(
+          manifest.encode().tryGet(),
+          codec = DagPBCodec
+        ).tryGet()
+
+    (await node.fetchBatched(
+      manifest,
+      batchSize = 3,
+      proc(blocks: seq[bt.Block]) {.gcsafe, async.} =
+        check blocks.len > 0 and blocks.len <= 3
+    )).tryGet()
+
+    (await node.fetchBatched(
+      manifest,
+      batchSize = 6,
+      proc(blocks: seq[bt.Block]) {.gcsafe, async.} =
+        check blocks.len > 0 and blocks.len <= 6
+    )).tryGet()
+
+    (await node.fetchBatched(
+      manifest,
+      batchSize = 9,
+      proc(blocks: seq[bt.Block]) {.gcsafe, async.} =
+        check blocks.len > 0 and blocks.len <= 9
+    )).tryGet()
+
+    (await node.fetchBatched(
+      manifest,
+      batchSize = 11,
+      proc(blocks: seq[bt.Block]) {.gcsafe, async.} =
+        check blocks.len > 0 and blocks.len <= 11
+    )).tryGet()
+
   test "Store Data Stream":
     let
       stream = BufferStream.new()
@@ -116,7 +162,7 @@ suite "Test Node":
 
     var
       manifestBlock = (await localStore.getBlock(manifestCid)).tryGet().get()
-      localManifest = Manifest.decode(manifestBlock.data).tryGet()
+      localManifest = Manifest.decode(manifestBlock).tryGet()
 
     check:
       manifest.len == localManifest.len